Tired of Your Home Office? Five of the UK’s Best Hotels for Remote Workers
We’ve selected a handful of the best hotels in the UK for work and play – chic hotels where freelancers and remote workers can tap away on laptops during the day before letting loose in the evening (subject to social-distancing restrictions, of course).
12 October, 2020
So,
we’re in the midst of a pandemic. You want a break from
the home office, but you’re neck-deep in
deadlines and taking some timeout simply isn’t an option. Our
solution? Head for a holiday on home shores and bring your laptop
along for the ride.
While some will bemoan the ever-diminishing boundaries between
work and play, we choose to see the current situation as an
opportunity to exercise newfound freedoms by checking into a
workation-ready hotel. We’ve selected a handful of places where
freelancers and remote workers can tap away during the day before
letting loose in the evening (subject to social distancing
restrictions, of course). Whether you’re looking to fill a long
weekend or checking in for the month, these are the best hotels for
work and play in the UK.
The best hotels for work and play in the UK
hotel
The Hoxton
Southwark, London
In brief: A co-working space with a luxurious member’s club
feel for £30 per day
Hotels around the world might be scrabbling to accommodate the
new hoards of freelance workers, but The Hoxton were there first.
In February, they somewhat hubristically launched their six-floor
coworking space Working From_ in Southwark. Long story short: it’s now
open again, and day visitors can get access for just £30. It has
all the humdrum office amenities you could need – photocopiers,
soundproof booths and coffee/tea stations, being three – but the
vibe is more luxury member’s club than co-working space. Kitchen
counters are rippled with marble, work spaces (day beds, sofas,
streams of desks) are segmented by towering fronds or curated
bookshelves and barista-made coffee can be ordered via an app and
served to your desk.
hotel
Dormy House
Broadway, Cotswolds
In brief: Escape to the country, Scandi-style
What could be better than escaping to a cosy, country house
hotel? How about escaping to Dormy House? It might sit in the framework of a
17th-century coaching inn, but inside Dormy House is a riot of
mid-century furniture, jewel tone colour blocks and
industrial-style light fixtures. After slogging away in the hotel’s
cushty lounge or at the desk in your bedroom, make tracks for the
hotel’s whopping great spa. Due to social distancing restrictions
you’ll need to book a spot in advance, but prepare to have lavender
and juniper-scented saunas, a salt-infusion therapy room and
swimming pool almost entirely to yourself. Just the ticket after a
long day at the office.
hotel
Artist Residence
Brighton, East Sussex
In brief: Affordable escapism. 20% off two-night stays and
complimentary coffee
If you haven’t stayed at an Artist Residence property yet
already, hop to it. Each of its artist-designed hotels are
hodge-podge examples of old-fashioned British eccentricity, –
live-in galleries, teeming with original fixtures, characterful
canvases and freestanding bathtubs. We’re heading to their Brighton
outpost, where they’ve implemented a 20% discount on two-night
stays, specifically designed to attract laptop-toting freelancers.
The offer only applies to midweek bookings from now until
Christmas. Still, it’s a neat deal. Kick off your mornings with
jogs along Brighton seafront, grab lunch from the vegan cafés
staggered along The Lanes, and settle into a pub sofa after work,
before curfew kicks in. Check out our guide for Brighton’s best bits.
hotel
Birch
Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
In brief: Work hard, create hard at this artsy country
retreat
Birch Community is made for those hustle hounds who constantly
proclaim how much they need a break but can’t handle the separation
anxiety that comes from leaving their laptops home alone. If you’re
visiting for a workation, you’ll spend a fair amount of time in
their designated co-working space, The Hub. It’s primped with
desks, breakout areas, phone booths and comfy sofas surrounded by
plug sockets. Thought work was tough? Try picking from Birch’s
encyclopedic offer of evening activities. Head
to their “interactive bakery” for a sourdough lesson, or their art
studio for a spot of Bauhaus pottery painting, or their spa for a
massage or simply sweat out the day’s stresses in their sprawling,
underground gym. P.S. You get 10% off your first stay if you sign
up to their newsletter.
Address
Lieutenant Ellis Way, Cheshunt, Goff’s Oak, Waltham Cross EN7 5HW
hotel
University Arms
Cambridge
In brief: A private library in the UK’s most studious city
(sorry Oxford)
Productivity levels aren’t guaranteed to sky-rocket while
working from this lavish hotel in the heart of Britain’s most
studious city (sorry Oxford), but we’d like to think that work
ethics are somewhat improved through sheer, full-body immersion.
The University Arms is hands down Cambridge’s
smartest outfit. Set up your office in the hotel’s private library,
replace water-cooler chit-chat with strolls along the River Cam and
take coffee breaks in the Botanical Gardens next door. When Zoom
calls stop for the day, resist the temptation to languish in your
homely, but oh-so-stylish bedroom. Instead, we suggest straddling
one of the hotel’s bikes and exploring the city on two wheels like
a true local.
